


Like a Fairytale

by Sasston



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Cinderella AU, M/M, cecilos - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-14 22:57:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4583334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasston/pseuds/Sasston
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Cinderella Story AU featuring Cecil and Carlos. Prince Carlos reluctantly throws a ball, and lowly Cecil really wants to go, but his evil stepmother Lauren isn't so quick to bring her "scrawny excuse for a stepson" along! My first story to actually post, so suggestions and criticism welcomed!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_**In the kingdom of Night Vale, the palace is brimming with excitement over the upcoming ball. The invitations were being sent to everyone three kingdoms out, and everyone is excited. Well, almost everyone.** _

Prince Carlos the Scientist stood on the balcony looking out over his kingdom, as he often did in times of distress. It was his own distress, however, that plagued his thoughts this time. He didn’t want to get married. He’d run the country for two and a half years now, and his uncle had chosen NOW to throw a ball for his hand in marriage? His royal advisor, Dr. Kayali, did note that this would have happened a lot sooner if he were a woman, which he sadly recognized was true, but wouldn’t have time to fix if his uncle went through with this ball.

“Prince Carlos?” Dr. Kayali asked upon finding him in, as she called it, his brooding place.

“Yes?” he asked, turning around to face her.

“Your uncle sent me to fetch you for your fitting.”

“Okay.”

“What’s troubling you?” she asked.

“I don’t want to get married, I’m perfectly capable of running this country by myself!” he ran his fingers through his perfect hair and gestured wildly with his hands while saying this.

“Prince Carlos, I know this isn’t ideal, but your uncle just wants you to be happy, and no one can stop him from throwing a ball. You know the laws well, he still has half jurisdiction until you’re eighteen-“

“Yeah, and I’m seventeen, so-“

“So,” she said, pulling him back inside to bring him to his fitting, “you’re still obligated to go to his parties for one more year. Besides, you don’t have to find a wife, you just have to go.”

“Okay, true. Let’s just get this over with.”

_**Meanwhile, the people outside of the palace were beginning to receive their invitations.** _

Cecil Palmer was sweeping the floor when the excitement began. His stepmother, Lauren, brought in the day’s mail and threw it on the table. Well, most of it. She kept one letter in her hand. The envelope, which was colored a light purple, had the royal seal on the outside, which made Cecil’s power hungry stepmother squeal with excitement. She liked to think she had pull in the royal community, which wasn’t true at all. Cecil knew the only reason they were able to afford their fancy clothes was the fortune Cecil’s father had left behind when he’d passed away, leaving Cecil to live with his evil stepmother Lauren and his two worse stepbrothers, Kevin and Steve.

“Oh, look, boys! An invitation to a ball at the palace, wouldn’t that be fun?”

“Oh yes,” Kevin said, “I’m sure getting dressed up and dancing would just be the best way to spend the weekend.”

“Ah, but here’s the best part: it’s for Prince Carlos to find a bride!” Lauren exclaimed, and the boys rolled their eyes.

“Why should we care?” Steve asked.

“Because…think about it, hundreds of girls are going, only one of them marries the prince. There’ll be hundreds of heartbroken rich girls looking for a shoulder to cry on, and you can be those shoulders.”

“Hey, not a bad idea! Alright, Stevie, let’s go to a ball!” Cecil had his own reasons for wanting to go to the ball. Prince Carlos was so cute. He had the most perfect hair and teeth, and eyes that shined with a brighter light than any before.

“Um…Miss Lauren, am I allowed to come? I’ve always wanted to go to a ball like this, and seeing as everyone’s invited…” Lauren’s hysterical laugh cut Cecil off. It was so loud and carried so far that peasant farmer Larry Leroy, out on the edge of the kingdom, looked up to see where the noise was coming from.

“Oh dear boy, YOU? You wouldn’t be fit to look in the eyes of such a girl!” That’s good, Cecil thought, I don’t want one of those girls. But he knew better than to backtalk. All that got him was bruises on his back that hurt for days. Instead, he just mumbled an apology for asking.

“Besides, you’re far too busy! It is tomorrow, and you have to get us ready in addition to all of your chores. You’ll never be able to get it done in time to get yourself ready!”

“And if I am?” Cecil dared to ask. He held his breath awaiting punishment, but his stepmother just looked amused.

“Alright. If you can finish all of your chores, get all of us ready, and make yourself look…presentable, if that’s possible…” she paused to laugh at her weak joke, or perhaps the fact that he would never get it all done, “Then you can go to the ball.” She walked off, her thick smile mocking him all the way. He was determined to get to that ball.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil wants to go to Prince Carlos's ball more than anything, but will he be ready on time?

     Cecil grabbed the parchment with his list of chores and eagerly got started on it. He usually hated the damn list, and rightfully so. It prohibited him from actually going outside and meeting people or checking up on the daily news as much as he’d like. Today, however, he hummed as he worked, hoping it would make the chores go faster. When he’d finished, the household was asleep, but he just couldn’t follow in their footsteps. He couldn’t wait for them to wake up and find their house spotless. At 17, he was no longer naive enough to believe they’d be proud of him, but he hoped they’d at least notice.

     Besides, his sleeplessness wasn’t only out of pride. He was also nervous. What if, by some miracle, he did get to go to the ball? Would the perfect Prince Carlos actually like him, or was he just wasting his time? He really wanted to go and find out for himself. He was still thinking it through when the sun began to shine through the window of his tiny bedroom.

     Cecil snuck quietly into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast. He had gotten pretty good at it over the years. His father’s chef, Earl, had taught him a lot back before Lauren fired him, so he could make a pretty good tiramisu, although it could be poisonous. This particular morning, he was determined to make them the best food he could. He scrambled around the kitchen for a good two hours, preparing the best meal of his entire life. In all the mess, he realized he’d forgotten to make anything for himself. He gobbled down a loaf of (wheat free) bread and picked up the tray.

     Cecil was very careful. He moved with the grace of a dancer as he brought the food to his stepmother’s bedroom. He knocked and took a deep breath before opening the door.

     “Miss Lauren, your breakfast.” He said, setting it all up for her as she began to wake up. He bowed slightly, and slipped out before she could note his even-more-disheveled-than-normal appearance. He repeated this careful process with his stepbrothers, then set out to clean up the kitchen and pick out their clothes. The last part took the longest, as the boys couldn’t decide between the black suits with the bowties or the black suits with the black ties. In the end, they scrapped both ideas and went with the black suits with a red handkerchief in the pocket and a patterned red and black tie. Along the same lines, Lauren picked out a red dress that laced up in the back, complimented with (get this) black lace. She had a matching, necklace type piece around her neck that had to be wrapped so tight, Cecil thought about choking her right there. But, there was still hope for going to the ball, and he didn’t want to ruin it.

     Cecil ran to his bedroom. He pulled out the little box from underneath his bed and out of it pulled his father’s old suit. It was the only thing of his dad’s that the Vauge Yet Menacing Government Agents had let him keep after his death. He dressed in it quickly, knowing they would leave in only a few minutes, and he had to be ready. He took one last look in the mirror before taking off down the stairs. He busted outside just as the driver was about to close the carriage door.

     “Miss Lauren, I did it! I’m ready!” Lauren looked shocked.

     “Cecil, did you actually think…oh, I’m sorry, darling, I was kidding! YOU go to a ball?! Why, even with the laws in this kingdom that’s impossible! Besides,” she said, smirking, “You aren’t even presentable!” He was about to question what she meant when the carriage door closed and they drove off, splattering mud all over his father’s best suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's chapter two! I really hope you liked it if you read this far, and thanks for reading! It really means a lot to me! Sorry it's a little short, I've got more to post but found a natural break in what I have so far. Anyways, thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Could Cecil go to the ball anyways?

Cecil’s heart was broken. He actually thought they were going to let him come. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid. He put on the stupid rags he called clothes and sat in the living room, trying to convince himself there was a silver lining to all of this. That’s what he always did. When Lauren hurt him, at least he knew how to avoid it the next time! When his father died, at least he’d be with mother again. Even at that point, he hadn’t cried this hard. He couldn’t find a single reason why this was any good at all.

“Oh, dear, what’s wrong?” a woman’s voice said, causing Cecil to look up from his crying and scream. When he did, he saw a tall lady with skin as dark as her chocolate hair. She was just standing in front of him, where she definitely hadn’t been before, but that kind of stuff happened a lot around there, so he didn’t care. “My dear, I’ve been your guardian angel for seventeen years and never have you been so sad!”

“You’re my…guardian angel?”

“Well, fairy godmother. But some people tend to believe in angels more than fairies, so I try to break it to em easy. You, however, can call me Dana! So, what’s wrong, dearie?” Cecil made the quick decision to trust the stranger. He didn’t know if it was the brilliant shade of deep purple her eyes and dress were, or if it was the fact that no one had asked him that in a long time.

“I want to go to the ball. But I actually let myself think for a second I could get there and now I’m realizing how stupid that whole idea was.”

“Oh, I bet there’s something I can do about that! Hmm…let’s start with those clothes…” before Cecil had the chance to ask what was going on, he was up in the air and spinning out of the rags he was wearing. When his feet hit the floor again, they were no longer bare. Instead, black dress shoes took their place, with swirling purple designs that somehow actually moved. They took Cecil’s breath away. “Aaaanndd obviously you’ll need a ride,” she looked around somewhat puzzled before turning back to Cecil, “I don’t suppose you have another carriage lying around anywhere?” He wasn’t sure whether or not she was joking until she laughed. He chuckled nervously.

She began walking around the house, occasionally muttering “Hmm…” as she pulled open various drawers and cabinets. Finally, she made her way to the front garden, and ran her hand over the surface of a pumpkin. She smiled, picked it from the ground, and brought it to the road. He followed her, a tad confused. When she suddenly ran back towards the house, he followed her again, still very confused. She brandished a pink stick, presumably a wand, and waved it at the pumpkin, and it suddenly turned into a beautiful carriage, complete with horses and a driver. Cecil’s eyes went wide. Dana gestured for him to follow her again over to the carriage, and helped him inside.

“Alright, go have fun! And uh, good luck with that prince, he’s a real catch!” She said. Excitement filled his heart, along with fear and determination.

“Thank you so much, Miss Fairy Godmother!” he exclaimed.

“It’s my pleasure, my dear. Oh! But don’t forget, gravity goes out in the city at 12:15 and this magic will wear off as soon as the gravity does, so you’ll need to leave by midnight, alright?” she warned. He nodded, and the carriage took off. He was going to the ball!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I really hope you guys like this!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Carlos meets an amazing man at the ball, and he falls in love instantly.

Meanwhile, Prince Carlos stood at the front of the ballroom, watching all of the people walk in, dawned in dresses and suits. His uncle would lean over to him and whisper their names and ranks as they came forward. He couldn’t have BEEN more bored. That’s when he saw it.

Or, well, him.

A man in a black suit with a deep purple handkerchief shuffled in the double doors. From the first look at the man he was in love. The man absentmindedly ran a hand through his extremely light blonde hair and glanced around, as if he was going to be in trouble. Prince Carlos’s heart did a flip.

“Uncle, who’s that?” he asked, pointing towards the man.

“Hmm, I’m not sure. Probably one of the peasants, don’t waste your time on them.” Carlos seemed a little offended by the remark, but he stayed back anyways and waited until his uncle had forgotten the exchange before approaching the man in the suit. He figured his uncle should just be happy he was trying in the first place.

“Hey, there, care to dance?” he asked, extending his hand out. The man took it.

“Of course!” he said, smiling. They made their way to the center of the dance floor and began to move their feet to the music. Carlos’s hand was on the man’s shoulder and waist, and vice versa. They were very close, but neither one could really see the other’s features very distinctly, simply because they weren’t focused on that, especially after they began to talk. Carlos became fixated on the man’s beautiful voice, and his shoes. They were black, but their purple pattern actually seemed to move and swirl around. They were very scientifically interesting.

“Wow, your hair is just perfect!” The man said, smiling in awe. “Your teeth, too! And, might I add, you are stellar at dancing!” Carlos blushed.

“Well, I’ve had lots of practice. Your voice is stunning, and you have some great shoulder muscles.” He laughed, squeezing the shoulder he was holding. This time it was the man’s turn to blush.

The two talked like this for several hours, still not finished with their dance long after most other couples had sat down. It was so perfect, so fun, so beautiful, so… neat! Prince Carlos just didn’t want to stop. There was a pause in the conversation, and as they stared into each other’s eyes, Carlos got the urge to kiss the man. He leaned in, and the man did too, and his mind was screaming that this was amazing and-

The clock tower chimed twelve loud chimes, and the man jumped up.

“Holy crap, I have to go! This was so nice, thanks for the dance!” he said, and he ran out. Carlos ran after him.

“Wait! I don’t even know your name! How will I find you?” but the man was long gone.

However, as Prince Carlos walked down the stairs, he noticed that one of the man’s interesting shoes was sitting at the bottom. He picked it up and held it close to him. This would be how he found the beautiful man again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for still actually reading this, it means so much to me!


End file.
